In the secluded courtyard, flames shot into the sky. On the top floor of the neighboring villa, a small figure teetered on the edge, as if a gust of wind could blow her right into the burning yard.
"You took me back just for your precious daughter, Gu Mingzhu, didn't you?"
Xu Nianhua's face was as pale as paper, her pair of eyes looking indifferently at the person before her—her biological father by blood.
"As long as you say the word, to save Gu Mingzhu, even if it costs my life, I wouldn't refuse. I'd be willing to do it."
The blazing firelight made Xu Nianhua's determination in her eyes unbearably clear. Her tears kept falling, and she choked out, "But you obviously promised me you'd take good care of them. You clearly promised me."
Xu Nianhua stepped back again and again, crying and suddenly laughing, saying, "Do you really think Gu Mingzhu can survive?"
"Hahaha~" Xu Nianhua laughed wildly at the sky, and in his shocked gaze, she leapt into the Sea of Fire.
She's dead, and Gu Mingzhu shouldn't think about living either!
"What did you do to Mingzhu?"
Gu Hai shouted at Xu Nianhua, but she had vanished in the Sea of Fire—there was not even a trace of her left, only the chilling sound of laughter faintly echoing.
Crazy, truly mad!
...
It hurt, she couldn't breathe, and it felt like something was squeezing her body from all directions.
Driven by her instinct to survive, Xu Nianhua struggled with her hands, trying to escape this discomfort.
"Little sis."
Who was calling her?
Xu Nianhua tried hard to open her eyes.
'Cough~'
She coughed up water, and the moment she saw Xu Nian'an, she threw herself into his arms, crying, "Second brother, I finally see you again. Are we reunited in the underworld? Where are Mom, Dad, and big brother? Where are they?"
Xu Nianhua's eyes were blurred with tears, looking around at the mountains, wondering why the underworld looked so familiar.
"What underworld reunion? What nonsense are you spouting? How many is this?" Xu Nian'an flashed two fingers in front of Xu Nianhua.
Xu Nianhua stared blankly at Xu Nian'an, saying, "Two."
"You're not dumb, so why are you saying dumb things?" Xu Nian'an reached out to touch her forehead, cool to the touch, no fever at all.
"Second brother."
Suddenly, Xu Nianhua held onto Xu Nian'an tightly, feeling his warmth, looking at him in confusion. Clearly, she'd died, so how was she waking up to see such a young second brother?
Where is this?
"Silly girl, why are you so foolish? So you didn't take the English exam—so what? If you can't get into college this year, then there's always next year, isn't there?"
"I know you're worried that the family's poor and can't support you. But don't worry, even if your brother doesn't go to school, I'll make sure you do."
"And you don't have to worry about Grandpa and Grandma, I'll convince them to let you keep studying."
"Little sis, you must promise not to ever think about jumping into the lake again."
Xu Nian'an's endless words left Xu Nianhua dazed. As her memories overlapped, Xu Nianhua remembered: her first college entrance exam, she'd missed the English test because of diarrhea, worried she couldn't go to school. She'd gone to the back mountain to cry alone, then saw something, and slipped into the lake.
So, not only was she not dead—she'd come back to the past?
Xu Nianhua stared wide-eyed in shock, gazing at the still surface of the lake, completely spaced out.
"Little sis, you only get one life. You can't let yourself get lost just because of something like this." Xu Nian'an still thought his sister was upset, he held her hand tightly and said, "You still have Mom and Dad, Second Brother, and Big Brother loves you too. You can't leave us behind."
Xu Nian'an's worried shout snapped Xu Nianhua's senses back. Seeing how anxious he was about her jumping into the lake, she suddenly smiled and said, "Second brother, I didn't jump in the lake."